2016-2017 Review Highlights and Impacts

Contents

Foreword .................................................................................................................................................... 1

SECAD Partnership’s Vision & Mission ............................................................................................. 2

Achievements & Impacts 2016-2017 ................................................................................................. 3

1. SUPPORTING ENTERPRISE ........................................................................................................... 5

2. ENABLING EMPLOYMENT ............................................................................................................12

3. CONNECTING BUSINESS & COMMUNITY ................................................................................17

4: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................................... 20

5: ENVIRONMENT ...............................................................................................................................26

6. NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS / NETWORKS ........................................32

7. FUNDS AND PROGRAMMES MANAGED BY SECAD ...........................................................37

8. SECAD GOVERNANCE ..................................................................................................................41

Foreword from Maurice Smiddy, Chairperson and Ryan Howard, CEO of SECAD Partnership CLG

Welcome to our review of SECAD’s activities in 2016-2017.

We recognise the huge efforts our Board, committees and staff have made in 2016-2017 to surpass our record of achievement. This has culminated in being recognised at the Cork Business Awards for the ‘Community Project of the Year’ award in November 2017.

Our diversification and innovation strategy continues to be enhanced with a new agreement with the ESB to provide ‘grant making organisation’ supports. This undertaking will see SECAD expand its role to manage Community Benefit Funds/Corporate Social Responsibility services on behalf of two semi-state organisations (ESB and Coillte). SECAD is well placed to continue to broaden its reach throughout the Island of Ireland over the next five years.

To this end, SECAD was also recognised in the recently published consultation report issued by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment which focused on the potential for ‘Community Ownership of Sustainable Energy Projects’ into the future. SECAD is progressing a model to enhance the opportunities offered by joint/community ownership and has learned from best practice models and initiatives in Scotland.

In 2017, SECAD also launched a new Wild Work initiative which partners with the corporate and wider business community on a number of environmentally focused projects.

In 2017, SECAD Partnership was also awarded two contracts through PEIL 2014-2020 (Female Entrepreneurship and Employability) to work in partnership with Ballyhoura Development. Additionally, the expansion of our Rural Social Scheme which should, by year-end have a full complement of participants, supports community based social inclusion focused

endeavours across South Cork. Most recently, SECAD became a partner in a successful consortium to promote the reduction of food waste led by the Clean Technology Centre in Cork Institute of Technology (CIT).

We continue to successfully roll-out the Community Food Initiative with safefood and thirteen partners across the Island of Ireland, helping to shape strategies to encourage and enable disadvantaged communities and families to access healthier food and meals.

However, new challenges have also arisen in 2016 and 2017. A key challenge has been to maintain our Tús participant work placement numbers and to continue to provide this very valuable resource to hundreds of community and voluntary groups on a weekly basis. SECAD Partnership is working closely with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) to overcome this issue. Another significant challenge has been navigating an incredibly complex and bureaucratic ‘new’ LEADER process. Huge efforts were made by the SECAD team to support the successful awarding of LEADER contracts across Cork in 2016, and to help the first projects to go through the LEADER application process in 2017.

Finally, following SECAD’s successful implementation of the Social Inclusion Programme in South Cork (SICAP 2015-2017), in November 2017, SECAD were delighted to be awarded a contract for the SICAP 2018-2022 period.

We are really proud of the commitment, focus, energy, passion and pride that each member of our team have for our work, our clients and our organisation.

Maurice Smiddy, Chairperson

Ryan Howard , Chief Executive Officer 1 2016-2017 REVIEW

2016-2017 REVIEW 2

SECAD Partnership’s Vision & Mission

VisionTo be a leading European community development organisation delivering exceptional service to our clients and

promoting innovative collaborations to address issues of disadvantage and

sustainability with our public, private, academic and community partners.

Mission Statement

To provide a range of innovative and effective rural development and social

inclusion supports to motivate and enable our communities to create a more vibrant,

sustainable and inclusive society.

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SUPPORTING ENTERPRISE

CONNECTING BUSINESS & COMMUNITY

ENVIRONMENT

47

50

12

NewBusiness

Starts

Female entrepreneurs engaged in tailored training to encourage

female entrepreneurship.

Social enterprises supported to grow and expand.

72+Meetings to supportemployer engagement.

32 Businesses engaged at launch of Wild Work.

Establishment and launch of Wild Work

15,000sq metres

of man-made pollinator corridors proposed.

20 Farmers engaged on agricultural and environmental opportunities.

2 Birdathons: interactive bird watching events across 4 locations in Cork in 2016 and 2017.

4 Local Area Biodiversity Action Plans developed.

SECAD Partnership Impact 2016-2017

ENABLING EMPLOYMENT

2043Disadvantaged

individuals (15 years + upwards)

supported on a one-to-one basis.

1044

1773

421

Individuals received educational/lifelong

learning supports.

Individuals received

employment supports.

Tús work placement

participants gained work experience.

274Individuals

progressed along the education

continuum following support.

267Young people 18-24

years supported towards training

and/or employment options.

206Individuals progressed

to part-time or full-time employment

after receiving employment support.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

500+Individuals/groups consulted as part of Town and Village Renewal strategic planning.

200+ LEADER expressions ofinterest gathered.

160 Community employers supported Tús work placements.

113 Local community groups supported with governance and planning.

92Projects from across Ireland

successfully completed applications and were offered financial support

from 2016 community benefit funds.

The following highlights demonstrate the impact of SECAD Partnership supports:

1308 Children under 15 years benefitted from Schools Intervention Programme.

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SECTION 1: SUPPORTING ENTERPRISE

2016-2017 REVIEW

In 2016-2017, SECAD Partnership continued to support the individuals behind new businesses and their personal journeys moving from unemployment towards sustainable self-employment and subsequent job creation in their community.

SECAD carefully designed and tailored the AIR² programme to specifically meet the needs of a target group of people who are currently on the DEASP ‘Back to Work Enterprise Allowance’ or ‘Short Term Enterprise Allowance’. As part of these supports, each person should be fully prepared for all of the challenges that face the entrepreneur.

The AIR² programme encourages participants to assess their own suitability for self-employment and assists with writing a business plan, strategy and how to assess business viability before setting up a small business.

The AIR² Business Start-Up Programme is an accredited training programme leading to a FETAC Level 5 Award on the National Framework of Qualifications. The course involves one full-day per week over five weeks as well as additional mentoring support and there is no charge to participants.

AIR² (Am I Ready: Am I Right) Start your own business programme

AIR² impact 2016-2017

BUSINESS NUMBER STILL IN NUMBER OF NUMBER OF

STARTS SURVEYED BUSINESS FULLTIME JOBS PART-TIME JOBS

2016/17 CREATED CREATED

47 41 41 34 13

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Supporting EnterpriseThe sustainability, vibrancy and future of our rural areas is directly linked to the existence of a range of different indigenous businesses within our rural communities. SECAD Partnership CLG has been supporting the development of business and creating links between large and small organisations and encouraging entrepreneurship since its formation in 1995.

Case Study - Play to Grow, Youghal, Co. Cork

Shelley O’ Donovan had the seed of a business idea ignited from past experience in the education field and further study in play therapy when she was recommended to get in touch with SECAD by a colleague.

Shelley’s business, ‘Play To Grow’ is a play therapy service helping children with cognitive, social, emotional and behavioural problems. Shelley works on an individual basis with client families, Health Services Executive (HSE), Family Resource Centres and referrals from parents, carers, schools and General Practitioners.

‘’SECAD supported me to think about how self-employment could work for me, and prompted me to recognise my skills and business opportunity in a more strategic way through writing my business plan for Play to Grow.’’

‘’Working with SECAD enabled me to make space to think about what Play to Grow stands for and focus on what benefits and value it can deliver to empower children to grow through play.’’

Moving from the kernel of an idea of providing a home-based one to one service, Shelley worked on her business vision to ‘’support children to stand on their own two feet.’’

Much like her business mission, since establishing the business in September 2016, Shelley worked independently from home providing one to one play therapy sessions. She has since progressed to working with schools and organisations providing therapeutic groups.

In tandem, she recently partnered with another play therapist to open a private practice in Youghal, Cork. Both practitioners work alongside each other as two separate businesses but in one location in a professional setting.

‘’Ultimately, establishing Grow to Play as a business service has enabled me to secure full-time self-employment in a field I am passionate about while also balancing the demands of family life.‘’

Group based enterprise workshopsSECAD also ran ten enterprise workshops, designed for people who are at the very early stages of enterprise development. These workshops are particularly shaped to support unemployed people to explore self-employment options as route out of unemployment. The workshops focus on business idea viability, suitability for self-employment, market, costing and business planning. During the period of 2016-2017, 173 people benefitted from SECAD enterprise workshops.

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Case Study - Active Connections, Killeagh, Co. Cork

Active Connections is an award winning social enterprise run by Ray Burke since June 2015.

Active Connections CLG uses activity based therapies to support young people experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is the leading adventure therapy programme in Ireland and with a unique commmunity based approach, it is the only activity based social enterprise of its kind in Cork.

Each year the organisation supports up to 130 young people, 95% of whom will not engage in any other therapeutic support. Last year, they supported 57 young people from 7 different counties who were at significant risk of loss of home, criminality or death through suicide. Any profits developed are reinvested back into the company i.e. expanding their service area or by supporting young people who cannot source any other funding.

Active Connections received an allocation of funding from SECAD which was used to purchase outdoor equipment to allow Active Connections to work with larger groups, and increase the range of activities on

offer for example, canoeing, kayaking, open water swimming, gorge walking, and snorkelling.

The social enterprise currently has 1 full-time and 4 part-time employees and anticipates hiring additional staff in the near future.

www.activeconnections.ie

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Supporting Social Enterprise A ‘social enterprise’ differs from a ‘private enterprise’ in that it is established to meet a social challenge or need and generally, will reinvest profits back into expanding its socially or environmentally orientated support and services.

Increasingly, social enterprises will be essential to the provision of services in the coming years in Ireland. Considering two decades of expertise in supporting businesses and the organisations while addressing social inclusion issues, Local Development Organisations such as SECAD Partnership are ideally placed to enable the growth and development of these social enterprises. During the 2016-2017 period, SECAD Partnership supported twelve social enterprises to access funding to grow and expand.

SECAD’s support for the development of rural tourism combines direct investment into tourism enterprises as well as managing the day to day operation of a network of tourism businesses called the ‘Ring of Cork’ (ROC).

In 2016 and 2017, the Ring of Cork (ROC) network continued to connect and support tourism businesses across the area through marketing, training and networking. The ROC network equips tourism businesses with the tools and skills to boost business and in turn, support local jobs and the local economy.

Crucially, through the Ring of Cork, individual businesses are enabled to promote their offering nationally to audiences that otherwise would be prohibitive to reach.

To this end, in 2017, the Ring of Cork published free tourism publications such as the Ring of Cork Visitor Guide and the Ring of Cork Heritage Trail Map, where the East Cork and South Cork region were showcased. Sixty thousand Ring of Cork guides

and twenty thousand Heritage Trail Maps have been distributed nationally. Both publications are unique to the region and highlight the wide range of things to do for all the family, encouraging cross selling, thus encouraging longer stays in the region.

As well as its marketing material, ROC also encourages visitors to visit the region through its website www.ringofcork.ie and social media. ROC has kept up to date with the latest digital trends and technologies and this is reflected in the interactive website that promotes members events and festivals in the region.

The ROC is committed to upskilling tourism businesses through providing leading edge trainingprogrammes, with a particular focus on digital marketing. The network has provided ten professional digital training programmes so far in 2017 from Video Marketing, Advanced Facebook, You Tube, Instagram, WordPress and Search Engine Optimisation. These have been very beneficial for all participants and an immense support to them in marketing their business.

Supporting Rural Tourism The Ring of Cork Network

Rural Tourism is critical to the economy of County Cork. Tourism is boosted by the region’s close proximity to traditionally strong tourism routes and a ready market of over one million people, nearby access to an airport and ferry port as well as a growing cruise-liner business.

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@Colm Sliney

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In 2016 and 2017, SECAD Partnership led the Cumas (‘ability’) programme - a free training course funded through the Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (SICAP) to support female entrepreneurship.

The programme offered female entrepreneurs the opportunity to take their idea or project to the next level. It also offered participants and opportunity to engage with likeminded peers.

The programme took place in two locations, one in a rural setting in the Gaeltacht area at Ballingeary, and one in an urban setting at Ballincollig. To shape

the programme, SECAD drew on its experience of supporting rural communities and entrepreneurship to tailor the programme with partners to meet the needs of the programme participants. The programme ran over an eight week period and culminated within a showcase for the entrepreneurs within their community.

SECAD partnered with Rubicon-CIT to co-deliver group training modules and individual supports with the SECAD team. Udaras na Gaeltacha also supported the programme in Ballingeary, located in the Cork Gaeltacht area of Muscraí.

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Female Entrepreneurship Support Women’s Rural Entrepreneurial Network (WREN)

SECAD is leading a new Women’s Rural Entrepreneurial Network (WREN) project to support female entrepreneurs living in Cork and Limerick who have a concrete business idea and wish to become self-employed or who are already in the early stages of business development.

The training programme includes personal development and business skills training, one to one and group mentoring, female ‘role model’ sharing of experience and support, themed networking and experiential learning events, formation and facilitated networking sessions and a range of other supports. The training will lead to an accredited award.

SECAD is working in partnership with Ballyhoura Development in Limerick and Cork Institute of Technology’s Rubicon Centre, Hincks Centre for Entrepreneurship Excellence on its delivery.

The WREN project is co-funded by the Irish Government through the Department of Justice and Equality and the European Social Fund as part of the ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) 2014-2020 to promote entrepreneurial skills and business start-up amongst women in the region.

Cumas Training Programme

Case Study - Lee Valley Taste Trail, Ballingeary, Co. Cork

Dorothy O’Tuama established the Lee Valley Taste Trails in 2016 to offer bespoke small group tours to food and craft beer producers and culture and heritage sites of the Lee Valley in South West Cork.

Dorothy joined the Cumas entrepreneurship programme with a wealth of experience in the tourism industry as a registered tour guide and with extensive knowledge of Irish food history and culture. Dorothy credits the Cumas female entrepreneurship programme with empowering her to get her plans for her Lee Valley Taste Trails business off the ground.

‘’Before I did the course I was at a standstill with my business idea. The expertise provided on the course enabled me to focus on my business plan, and helped put everything in place to get it off the ground and on a good footing.’’

Dorothy’s business brings small groups with a maximum of fifteen together to ‘’Meet the South

West Buffaloes” on a tour and taste trail of a Buffalo Farm and mozzarella production facility. A second tour, ‘’Taste our Stored Sunshine” incorporates visits to other local producers such as Walton’s Mills in Macroom, White Deer Brewery and Coolavokig Pottery. Both tours promote diverse agri-food businesses and celebrate the riches of the area, in a relaxed, informative and fun way.

‘’My business serves as an anecdote to large scale tourism and offers people an insight into Irish life in the Lee valley Múscraí Gaeltacht, and of our food ‘Bia linn’’’

‘’It would have been beneficial to have even more time on some of the course modules on business planning and social media etc.’”www.leevalleytastetrails.ie

Agri Diversification Business Skills Programme 2016

In 2016-2017, SECAD Partnership ran a business skills programme targeted specifically at low income farm households in the Lee Valley area. The ‘Agri Diversification Business Skills Programme’ allowed members of farm family households to explore the feasibility of developing on-farm diversification businesses which would aim to supplement the

family income while running concurrently with the existing mainstream farming activity. This course had 14 participants who undertook training modules,group work and site visits as well as availing of individual mentoring support, specific to their own proposals.

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SECTION 2: ENABLING

EMPLOYMENT2016-2017 REVIEW

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One of the most important SICAP supports provided is a free and confidential one-to-one clinic with a member of our team of skilled experts. Throughout 2016-2017 these clinics were offered by SECAD on a weekly basis at 10 locations across the South Cork Area by SECAD including Youghal, Midleton, Cobh, Carrigaline, Ballincollig and Macroom. There were also outreach services developing in Blarney, the Muscraí Gaeltacht and Passage West. SECAD endeavours to make services available at a centre that is as accessible as possible for all clients.

An important element is that services are hosted within community owned facilities or a centre where other broader services and supports can be offered and availed of by clients.

The primary supports offered to clients are CV writing, interview preparation skills, job searching techniques, matching interests with possible education or skills programmes, application for courses and other supports.

Between 2016 and 2017 over 1,773 people across South Cork will have been supported through one-to-one SECAD employment supports.

“This is an excellent service. May I suggest bringing it to the attention of those unemployed once they sign on if possible, before an individual gets in a rut or feels there is no hope or help available.”Client testimonial 2017

One to one Employment Support Service

Supporting EmploymentIreland is emerging from a very difficult recession that saw rapid increases in unemployment from 2008 onwards. SECAD Partnership through its Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (SICAP) developed and delivered a series of supports for people trying to return to employment after a period of being unemployed. These services will continue to evolve as new employment issues are emerging where employees need support to secure more sustainable employment, beyond zero hour contracts and positions with low pay.

The Towards Occupation programme is designed to assist people who have experienced challenges with their mental health which have slowed down their own progress in attempting to return to employment or other forms of activity and interaction. The programme develops basic but important skills and confidence to move into education, training, voluntary work employment or other directions. Throughout 2016-2017, participants are supported to explore a range of new skills and set achievable goals whilst also focusing on confidence building, communication skills and increasing self- belief.

In 2016-2017, 14 people completed the Towards Occupation programme at Cumann na Daoine in Youghal, receiving 160 hours of support from October 2016 to June 2017 covering topics such as life skills, personal development, career supports such as CV and interview skills, vocational skills and accessing counselling where appropriate. Participants progressed onto further training, voluntary work and exploring employment opportunities. In Midleton, in collaboration with the Respond Housing Association, 12 people successfully completed the Introduction to Personal Development course at Carrig Liath, Castleredmond in Spring 2017.

Towards Occupation

Kickstart Your Job Search Programme to support young people In 2016, SECAD ran a four week course ‘Kickstart’ programme for 12 participants. The purpose of the ‘Kickstart Your Job Search’ Programme was to support young people in the 18 – 25 age group who are unemployed and fall into the overall category of NEETS requiring some direction in order to move forward, into employment, education and/or retraining with a view to future employment options.

Key achievements included developing a cover letter, CV and practicing interview skills with each participant. A visit to Cork Jobs Expo and workplace visits generated exposure to companies, training, employment agencies, jobs market and general

information in an environment that supported job seeking.

In addition a guest facilitator Rachel Sarah Murphy (actress and successful business woman) encouraged very frank discussion and debate on how we choose to stay or get “unstuck” in our careers. This was valuable in generating some new objectives for participants.

All candidates were offered the follow-on support of working on a one to one basis with employment engagement services within SECAD.

Sectoral Skills for WorkProgrammes to improve employability

In 2016-2017, as the economy began to grow, people returning to employment were required to upskill to improve their prospects of employment. Many required a formal qualification and were encouraged to avail of formal training from various education partners including Cork Education & Training Board (ETB).

Additionally, a cohort of clients in 2016-2017 required very flexible, accessible and person centered programmes in order to avail of emerging opportunities. In a number of these cases SECAD directly intervened and utilised the skills of its own team, with the support of external trainers where needed. The following are some examples of these sectoral programmes.

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Construction Throughout 2016-2017, SECAD Partnership delivered a two day activation programme for people seeking employment in the construction sector. One of the key lessons from the beginning of the recession was the number of small construction companies and especially sole traders that did not have a business plan, adequate insurance or a basic system to manage finances.

SECAD set about developing a short course to advise on such critical issues for self-employment. However, following discussion with Construction Industry Federation (CFI) the programme was enhanced to include elements of manual handling and safe pass in parallel with sole trader planning, CV and interview skills. Construction workers are bound by law to hold a valid Safe Pass card and it also proves

useful for people who are seeking work as general operatives in the manufacturing sector.

Programmes were delivered in Carrigaline, Cobh, Midleton, Macroom, Muscraí Gaeltacht and Youghal. The number of participants in the programme to date totals 230, 172 of these in recent months. The course proved particularly valuable for males over 55 returning to work in the construction sector. Other participants used the course as an opportunity to pursue further studies.

One past participant now employed in a Lidl warehouse reported: ’’It was really useful to do manual handling course. It’s what got me the job in Lidl, I was very happy’’.

Food Safety The food and hospitality sectors are important sources of employment in the South Cork area. However, increasingly as an entry into employment, employers are keen to hire candidates who have undertaken some form of basic food training.

SECAD Partnership’s training is a one and a half day food safety programme. The participants learn how to handle and store food safely and gain an understanding of the basic rules of HACCP and

allergen awareness. Participants are also provided with practical guidance on tailoring and presenting a cover letter and CV for this sector and also how to prepare for an interview.

In 2016-2017 programmes were held in Ballincollig, Carrigaline, Cobh, Midleton, the Múscraí Gaeltacht and Youghal involving 79 participants to date.

Customer Service SECAD identified customer service skills as applicable and transferable to all types of employment, both in the internal environment and external environment at work. A course was devised and delivered in house by SECAD using the coaching and training expertise and capacity of SECAD staff.

The course focussed on understanding key aspects of customer service, how to create a positive customer environment, the value of the customer and how to deal with complaints.

Working with 16 course participants, SECAD bridged the gap to the workplace by organising field trips to local employers in relevant sectors, for example, Midelton Park Hotel in the tourism sector.

‘’The course was a great refresher for me to know what’s involved in writing a great CV. It also helped me to meet new people and it opened doors to find my new role in administration.’’Li Chai – course participant

Healthcare Opportunities

In 2017, SECAD Partnership CLG became a partner in a Healthcare Opportunities training project with Ballyhoura Development. The Healthcare Opportunities programme will be run at various locations throughout Cork and Limerick over a three year period offering participants the opportunity to gain a Healthcare Assistant Level 5 qualification.

The programme is specifically aimed at women who have been out of the workforce and who are not in receipt of a Jobseekers Allowance (SECAD adviseson other eligibile participants). The programme appeals to women who are interested in

training, to allow them work as a care assistant in a care home, community setting or a hospital. The training is free, flexible and an excellent way to upskill and gain a new career option.

The programme is co-funded by the Irish Government through the Department of Justice and Equality and the European Social Fund through the Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) 2014-2020. Funding is being provided under the Employability strand of PEIL, to promote gender equality and to create new employment opportunities for women.

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SECTION 3: CONNECTING BUSINESS & COMMUNITY

2016-2017 REVIEW

Connecting Business & CommunitySECAD Partnership CLG, similar to other local development companies have become experts in providing a bridge between government policy and communities sourcing funds and resources to meet local needs.

SECAD shapes strategies and plans to attract such public funding programmes to support local initiatives. In tandem, SECAD has also reinforced its capacity to astutely manage and account for funds, and undertake due diligence on each funding applicant and project.

From a community and social enterprise perspective, SECAD provides advice and guidance on project design and development. Key investment is made in a variety of capacity building programmes designed to improve community group skills and their ability to plan and manage their projects or activities. Communities are guided to develop strategic projects that will reap the greatest long-term impact for their area.

Particularly in 2016-2017, public funds aimed at stimulating rural and community development have been going through a number of changes. Some

have become much more bureaucratic and many are reducing in terms of overall value or are broken into smaller, very short term packages not suited to longer term strategic actions. This is creating ‘gaps’ in the funding mix needed to underpin creative or legacy type initiatives. SECAD is beginning to work with the private and corporate sector to begin to address these gaps. The following are some examples of this policy of connecting those sectors for the overall benefit of communities.

In July 2017 with the support of 32 of the largest employers in the Cork Harbour catchment, SECAD introduced a new initiative – Wild Work. This launch was attended by a range of business sectors including Tourism, IT, Pharma, Clean Technologies etc. A detailed description of the range of services that Wild Work offers is included in the ‘Environment’ section of this report.

In 2017, SECAD specifically sought the support of the corporate sector for the development of man-made pollinator corridors in conjunction with neighbouring communities, schools and farms. Since the launch of Wild Work, the team have been actively engaging with corporate partners and tailoring packages to meet the needs of corporate social responsibility and employee engagement programmes.

The first ‘Biodiversity Action Plans’ are currently being designed and without doubt this is the beginning of a hugely important action in terms of the sustainability of the communities and businesses involved and the environment in which we all live.

Wild Work and Business

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Managing Community Benefit/CSR Funds In 2016-2017, SECAD built on its strong track record of managing the ESB’s (the Electricity Supply Board) and Coillte’s (semi-state forestry company) sustainable energy Community Benefit Funds since 2014 and 2015 respectively. SECAD has consolidated its skills and expertise to enable both organisations to follow good practice guidelines for profit sharing with communities where a sustainable energy project has been established. In turn, this has enabled communities to maximise the use of the funding provided.

Specifically, through the ‘Grant Making Organisation’ service, SECAD manages community benefit funds on behalf of the funder(s). This involves management of the entire process from application stage through to project completion and final claim. SECAD ensures

funder(s) have up-to-date reports on fund activity and impact.

By the end of January 2018, SECAD Partnership will have distributed €700,000 to over 200 community based projects through various Community Benefit Funds. SECAD oversees and manages this process with communities spread across 12 counties in Ireland.

In addition to managing the funding, SECAD also provides capacity building and support training programmes, which are tailored according to the community’s needs. SECAD always seeks to facilitate communities to develop longer term and more sustainable projects as well as leveraging funding from other sources. Ultimately, this approach greatly enhances the overall impact of the community funds in the communities we serve.

Business Engagement Building business employer connections in 2016-2017 Throughout 2016-2017, SECAD built on its positive record of employer engagement across SECAD programmes in enterprise, employment and environment. SECAD has built goodwill over time by engaging with communities, the members of which are also connected into the business and corporate networks in South and East Cork.

In 2017, SECAD specifically endeavoured to strengthen its links with the business community in order to be a more valuable and supportive link - guiding people into employment, towards the

workplace and suitable employers. Activities such the SECAD’s launch of Wild Work, a biodiversity iniative served as a platform to build links with local businesses.

As part of upskilling programmes, SECAD has also integrated visits to workplaces and presentations by employers as a practical element of such programmes. For example, a field trip to Novartis helped to broaden the horizons of a group of jobseekers under the age of 25. It provided them with an understanding of what employers are looking for and a presentation by a Training and Development Manager proved inspirational for the participants.

L to R: Ciara Mc Gee – LEO South Cork, Aileen Aherne- Youghal Socio Economic Development Group, Jackie Norton - Enterprise Ireland and Edel Smiddy - SECAD Partnership supporting the Let’s Talk Business event in Youghal in April 2017.

SECTION 4: COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT 2016-2017 REVIEW

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Community DevelopmentSupporting the continuous development and evolution of the ‘Community Sector’ is a central element of SECAD’s overall strategy and approach. The needs of a community can change and the capacity of a community to address or seek the supports to address change can become an issue.

Creative capacity building and community support programmes are important, to design and deliver with communities. There are some organisations working in this sector, but there is a lack of coordinated approaches and inconsistent resourcing. Therefore, it is critical that SECAD fulfils this role with the communities in our catchment.

As the economy becomes more buoyant, there may be less time available from volunteers to support community and voluntary activity. For this reason, SECAD has been a strong advocate of expanding public programmes (such as the Community Services Programme) which will allow voluntary based services to recruit essential staff. This

challenge also highlights the importance of the Tús and RSS initiatives managed by SECAD in terms of being able to support community based services, sports clubs, charity shops etc. to continue to do what they do well.

SECAD also focuses on bringing innovative approaches into the most disadvantaged areas to enable these communities to address issues of physical and mental health, integration and other issues in a creative and inclusive manner. The following are some examples of recent Community Development initiatives facilitated by SECAD in 2016-2017.

Rural Social Scheme (RSS)Building Resilient Communities The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) was established to provide income support to low income farmers and fishermen. This supplement is provided on the basis that the participant is available to workfor 19.5 hours each week to support a community/not-for-profit project.

SECAD manages this programme in the South Cork area on behalf of the Department of Employment Activation and Social Protection. SECAD has a key role in determining where the participant is placed and supports the community groups involved to develop a positive work experience for the participant. There are currently 15 farming/fishing families benefiting from this support as well as 15 different community based projects.

One such project is a social enterprise, the Field of Dreams - a horticultural based training facility and social space for adults with Down Syndrome. A SECAD RSS participant working with this group is

an organic lamb farmer with strong knowledge of organic farming and working on the land. This has proved to be an excellent fit and of great benefit for the Field of Dreams team. Along with the on-site horticultural learning, the RSS participant Mary Coakley supports the Field of Dreams students to experience growing, harvesting and selling produce from purpose built gardens.

Tús - Community Work Placement Connecting community and employment supportsThe Tús programme is open to anyone who is unemployed for more than one year. In 2016-2017, SECAD Partnership continued to manage and administer Tús community work placements in the South Cork area which provide short-term work experience opportunities.

The work placements are provided by community and voluntary organisations in both urban and rural areas. In 2016-2017, the work carried out by

participants in the Tús scheme benefitted 160 community based organisations and their communities. During 2016 and 2017, 421 people participated in SECAD’s Tús initiative. To enhance the value of Tús, SECAD also offered employment services (CV & interview training techniques) tailored to participants needs. During the 2016-2017 period SECAD delivered 46 such workshops involving 271 Tús participants.

Case Study - TúsAdrian Quirke was unemployed for three years before he commenced work with Tús in Spring 2016 to work at Passage West Soccer Club. ‘’I jumped right into the job, I have a passion for soccer and I’m from the local area’’.

Adrian’s role as grounds keeper for twelve months involved pitch maintenance, dressing room upkeep, caretaking and being a trusted key holder for the facility. Beyond the required hours for the placement, Adrian also used his own initiative to add value and develop his own knowledge and personal interest. ‘’I researched pitch technology, grass growth and best practice from the golfing industry and also sought

the advice of an Agronomist to optimise grass growth and pitch drainage.’’

Adrian firmly believes that ‘’get out what you put in’’ to Tús and his interest in the role and community drove him on to seek out opportunities to do things better at the club. ‘’The Tus Scheme has transformed my life and gave me the confidence and hunger to secure full time work’’.

Adrian subsequently secured a full-time role with BMD Mechanical Engineering. Adrian’s current work involves pipe fitting, cleaning and maintenance and he has brought the motivation and positivity reignited by the Tús programme to his new role.

Community training supportsA pivotal part of SECAD’s work with communities in 2016-2017 has been to empower and strengthen local communities. SECAD has taken a holistic approach in rolling out supports and activities by focussing on equipping local community organisations and voluntary groups to engage with the relevant decision-making structures in the area and beyond.

To maximise effectiveness and in line with the Public Participation Network (PPN) framework, SECAD has delivered actions on a municipal district level. We have worked closely with community stakeholders

to develop inclusive, representative structures with-in communities across the South and East Cork area. The development of solid overarching structures provide a space where everyone including disadvantaged communities, can voice concerns, respond and engage with local and national services. More specifically, community training workshops have been provided to 100+ community groups in the 2016-17 period covering topics such as structures and governance; funding applications and fund-rais-ing tips, town and village planning, needs analysis, and inclusivity.

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Supporting Integration - A Food Fusion Approach atMacroom and Midleton Food Festivals In 2017, SECAD made a concerted effort to engage new communities and hard to reach families.Specifically, SECAD Partnership piloted a successful integration programme celebrating multi-cultural communities through food by working with the two largest community based food festivals in South Cork that were held in September 2017 in Midleton and Macroom respectively.

A series of workshops prior to the food festivals and after the events attracted people from different nationalities and ethnicities to come together to share food related stories, histories and recipes. The aim of this ‘Food Fusion’ approach was to celebrate diversity through a shared love of food.

Each group was facilitated by SICAP community development staff and a trained chef to bring food and community together. Under the guidance of Ballymaloe trained chef Shermin Thompson, the international groups both in Midleton and Macroom published a short recipe leaflet to share. This approach created positive conversations and links between people from different nationalities living on the same street, neighbourhood, and community as well as in rural areas within parishes to develop the first levels of a peer support group.

A parallel community arts project linked to the Macroom Food Festival was a created with nine primary schools, over 600 children and 20 different

nationalities. The poster competition entries with the theme ‘Food from around the World’ were on display at an exhibition at the Food Festival to promote the idea of being part of a new community and respecting the cultures and ethnic backgrounds of the people in their area.

As this work evolves, it will focus on integration barriers including literacy issues, cultural challenges and more fundamental issues of inequality, racism and prejudice.

SECAD Partnership’s Food Fusion Integration Programme is supported by the Communities Integration Fund through the Department of Justice and Inclusion and the Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme. The longer term focus of this programme is to develop positive integration plans for the communities involved.

Wellbeing in the Community ProgrammeThis programme is delivered in conjunction with Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) to target those most marginalised in our society. The programme focusses on the most ‘disadvantaged areas’ including social housing estates and communities in our area. The programme’s delivery has been undertaken in consultation with key agencies working in the sector including the HSE, and related professionals including public health nurses, occupational therapists, community health workers and the DEASP local offices. The programme is well designed to ensure it is sufficiently embedded in the area and a relevant support alongside existing healthcare provision.

A key aim of the programme is to expose participants/learners to best practice and evidence based interventions to increase their well-being and resilience. Learners personally reflect on the theories and models of positive psychology and apply these concepts to increase their understanding of their own wellbeing. It also provides them with strategies to improve and promote positive mental health. An added spin-off of this programme is that it equips participants and potential community leaders with greater means to create and build ‘resilient communities’ in the most disadvantaged areas. The programme is being piloted in Youghal from October to December 2017.

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Town & Village Strategic Planning DevelopmentsIn 2017, SECAD Partnership facilitated a dynamic community led strategic planning process in conjunction with Cork County Council and the communities of Passage West and Carrigtwohill.

Carrigtwohill and Passage West have a number of commonalities. They are both influenced by their location in the shadow of Cork City; adjacent large scale industrial development which appear to have little influence on the economic mix of the town/village; adjacent to strong market towns; seeing a decrease in their retail mix despite major increases in population; not gaining benefits from local, regional or national tourism despite their potential compared to other towns/villages; seeing local social services gaps and both have issues with dereliction and underused space.

It was evident to SECAD that both communities had potential opportunities even in the face of significant challenges. The overall aim of the community consultation and strategic planning was to enable the communities to envisage how the areas could develop in the coming years. The plans aimed to pinpoint a vision for these communities and break the vision down into short term, medium term and long term actions that the community itself will prioritise.

In autumn 2017, an extensive consultation process was undertaken with three distinctive strands, focusing on economic, social and environmental issues and opportunites.

One-to-one interviews, group meetings and on-line consultation surveys were tailored and targeted specifically to survey the opinion and ideas of the business community and members of the public. Specifically, youth, older people, parents of young children and new communities were targeted to reflect a cross section of society.

To ensure objectivity and additional professional input, external consultants ‘Future Analytics’ – a leading consultancy in planning, research and economics were engaged. Their role was to bring physical planning expertise to the process, analyse the inputs and develop the Five Year Strategic Plans for both Carrigtwohill and Passage West.

These plans are to be launched by the Mayor of County Cork, Declan Hurley on the 14th December 2017. The project was funded through the national Town and Village Renewal Scheme provided by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

Community Food Initiative for safefood SECAD Partnership is administering the Community Food Initiative (CFI) on behalf of safefood since 2016. safefood is an all-island organisation set up to promote awareness and knowledge of food safety and nutrition issues on the island of Ireland. The main aim of the CFI is to positively influence the eating habits of low income families and to identify and promote best practice.

SECAD Partnership and safefood selected 4 CFI Leaders in Northern Ireland and 9 CFI Leaders in the Republic of Ireland. Each of these groups have a ‘social inclusion’ focus and experience (similar to

SECAD). The strategy applied was to encourage the CFI Leaders to act as champions for the CFI in each area, develop strategic links with key agencies and deliver a combination of large scale workshops and smaller initiatives with target groups. Each year SECAD agrees on the proposed actions and strate-gies of each CFI Leader.

During 2016, 1,537 families attended 26 healthy eating events where 260 organisations were present to provide advice and guidance to the attendees. Additionally, 604 families benefited through their involvement in the small projects.

Case Study: Community Benefit Fund, Ballyfad Community HallAt the launch of the Raheenleagh Sustainable Energy Community Benefit Fund (An ESB-Coillte joint venture) in Co. Wicklow, SECAD met with local activists who had a vision and plan for Ballyfad Community Hall. The current hall was no longer fit for use, and as a result was underutilised by the local community. This reduced vibrancy in the area, as people and groups congregated elsewhere for social gatherings, meetings and events.

Raising the necessary funds to improve this situation would have been a major obstacle for the small rural community. However, Ballyfad Hall Committee were

well organised and very determined. SECAD worked closely with Coillte, the ESB and the Ballyfad Hall Committee to identify a funding model which would work for this very ambitious project. The local community committed to provide matching funding, in addition to voluntary labour. This innovative solution designed by SECAD will see the provision of Community Benefit Funds of €94,800 over 12 years. Work commenced on the hall in Autumn 2017, and is expected to be completed during 2018.

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SECTION 5: ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

ACTIONS 2016-2017 REVIEW

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Wild Work and the All Ireland Pollinator Plan At a business breakfast event in July 2017, SECAD introduced a new initiative – Wild Work (www.wildwork.ie). Wild Work aims to bring people together to facilitate positive action to benefit nature and it is committed to helping people, help nature, help people. Essentially, Wild Work aims to;

• Provide employment opportunities and work experience in the biodiversity sector.• Educate and raises awareness to help wildlife thrive and improve understanding and respect for nature.• Benefit society by facilitating business and communities to reap the physical and mental health benefits of engaging with nature.

One of the key projects that Wild Work is developing is the creation of pollinator corridors. Pollinator corridors are typically planting strips to encourage pollinators such as bees which are vital to a healthy ecosystem. SECAD is starting with industrial land owned by companies and working with the staff of these businesses to help spread the idea of creating pollinator corridors at home or within communities.

The National Biodiversity Data Centre developed an All-Ireland Pollinator Plan to highlight the major

issues facing pollinator species with many under threat of extinction. Significantly, SECAD was named as an agent of positive change in this plan, one of only a very small number of Local Development Groups across the Island of Ireland.

The board of SECAD Partnership first instigated the development of Wild Work with an investment of €100,000. Wild Work is now calling on businesses across Cork to become key investors in the development of the largest man-made pollinator corridor in Ireland.

Environment and Sustainability ActionsLiving in a good quality environment is an essential element of a sustainable community. In 2016-2017, SECAD Partnership enabled and facilitated business and the community in the development of local positive environmental actions. 2016-2017 saw SECAD taking on a more direct role of being a leader of discussion or action for environmental development. SECAD collaborated in partnership with a number of very effective partners and focused organisations to highlight the importance of our natural environment for communities. Without their support as partners, SECAD could not progress in designing or delivering effective actions. SECAD recognises that the environment is equal to economic and social development as an enabling factor in building resilient rural communities.

Wild Work and Farmers European Innovation Partnership (EIP)In 2017, SECAD Partnership under its Wild Work initiative coordinated an application for a European Innovation Partnership project for ‘Agricultural Sustainability and Productivity’ with members of the farming community. The European Innovation Partnerships are intended to streamline, simplify and better co-ordinate existing European Union initiatives.

The core of the SECAD EIP project idea is directly linked to developing man-made interconnected pollinator corridors in industrialised areas.

The SECAD EIP project is targeting clusters of farmers working together to create a network of rural pollinator corridors. The idea is that farmers (who may or may not be part of other farming environmental measures) will plan and work together to look at how they can reverse the loss of

pollinator habitats. The aim is to generate measurable and positive impacts on pollinator communities and broader biodiversity, while also benefitting farmers and the wider community.

Thus far, Wild Work has recruited supportive partners for the EIP project including, U.C.C., Teagasc, the National Biodiversity Data Centre, Fota Wildlife Park, Dairygold Co-op and Dawn Meats.

If this project’s approval is forthcoming in late 2017, it will see the first ten clusters of farmers develop this approach over a five year period. The project could potentially provide a transferrable model that could continue to grow and expand countrywide and contribute to achieving SECAD’s Wild Work goal of developing Europe’s largest man-made pollinator corridor.

Wild Work Well-being ProgrammeIn 2017, SECAD’s Wild Work initiative developed a positive mental health and well-being training programme to deliver in 2018. This programme focusses on therapeutic pathways using the outdoors, nature and positive occupational spaces. For people experiencing various forms of marginalisation, it aims to build resilience, stimulate thinking about personal development and inspire to actively

encourage people to help themselves, help nature and help their community.

This programme will be an integrated and interactive experience and will lead to a QQI Level 3 qualification in Communty Participation/Eco-Community Development.

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Wild Work Leadership and LearningSince its launch Wild Work has focussed on academic research as a key component to inform its practical work. Fostering research and expertise has facilitated Wild Work to develop knowledge and understanding and strive for best practice in every project.

For example, Wild Work collaborated closely with UCC academic experts in 2017, including UCC School of Biological Earth and Earth Sciences in the inaugural Cork Birdathon 2016. In February 2017, Wild Work ran a series of community workshops and fieldtrips with UCC Green Campus centred around community managed woodlands and ‘1 million trees in one day’ events. Research also informs the practical execution of many other Wild Work proj-

ects including for example, bumblebee and butterfly monitoring courses and the ‘Leave No Trace Ireland’ research group.

Throughout 2017, Wild Work also worked on a number of other projects with academics including with UCC’s School of Psychology and UCC’s CARL (Community Academic Research Links) Initiative to explore possibilities for establishing structured Community Based Research (CBR) work placements for students in 2018. Wild Work has also developed knowledge and built strong links by engaging with partners such as NUIG NEAR Health Project research partnership.

Environment Education – Tackling Invasive SpeciesFrom Wild Work’s experience of working closely with local communities, an education project dealing with problematic species such as Japanese Knotweed and other invasive species was developed. In 2017, the Invasive Species project identified means of managing invasive species taking into account the a number of factors and integrating all those involved i.e. Local Authority, businesses, community groups, residents, etc.

Specifically in 2017, the project helped to prevent further spread, raise awareness and educate as well identify the best and most effective methods of treatment in line with environmental regulations.

The Japanese Knotweed pilot project and treatment sites were located in Douglas and Glanmire. These pilot sites also served to educate the local community and inform the best possible treatment into the future.

Biodiversity Action Plans In 2017, as part of the Town and Village Renewal consultation process, Wild Work consulted communities in Passage West and Carrigtwohill to contribute to the development of a Biodiversity Action Plan. The consultation process undertaken ensured that opportunities to conserve and interact with nature are integral to broader strategic renewal plans for each area.

The biodiversity action plan was developed by Wild Work, through extensive community consultation meetings in schools and at each town’s main community centre to ensure maximum community participation. Wild Work has also been forging links with academia in order to facilitate community based participatory research and learning on the progress of the environmental aspect of the strategic plan, and of the plan overall.

Moving forward, the actions identified in each biodiversity action plan provide exciting opportunities for communities in Passage West and Carrigtwohill.

In addition, Wild Work delivered pollinator workshops to Tidy Towns groups as well as habitat mapping training courses and an invasive species awareness session for Douglas Tidy Towns. Wild Work is also working closely on a Biodiversity Action Plan with the Douglas Tidy Towns team. Wild Work has also worked with Youghal Tidy Towns to complete a Ballyvergan ecological assessment and Biodiversity Action Plan.

SECAD is well positioned to be a leader of placing people and nature at the forefront of renewal and development of towns and villages in Ireland.

South and East Cork Bird Trail SECAD Partnership continued to be a key supporter of ecotourism through the South and East Cork Bird Trail in 2016 and 2017. At each of the 28 trail locations, display boards provide extensive information on the bird life, habitat and folklore of the surrounding area. The expanded trail was launched in November 2016.

The bird trail is free to use and can be enjoyed by young and old, from complete beginners to

bird-watching enthusiasts to take advantage of the diverse flora and fauna. A fold out map has been developed, which provides information on the type of birds that can been seen at each location.

The trail has been developed to allow for future expansion, and plans are underway to add a number of locations during 2018.

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Cork Birdathon The Cork Birdathon is a fun and interactive annual bird watching event held in 2016 and 2017. The event aims to promote the fantastic birdlife and biodiversity of our region. During the inaugural event in 2016, 24 teams recorded 688 bird sightings, and 108 different bird species on the day.

The South and East Cork Bird Trail provides an excellent backdrop for the event, which is delivered

in conjunction with UCC School of BEES, the National Biodiversity Datacentre, Birdwatch Ireland Cork and West Cork branches and other birdwatching experts. The event includes key locations of Ballyvergan and Pilmore Strand near Youghal East Cork, Harty’s Quay and Harper’s Island on Cork harbour and Inchydoney Island in West Cork with an opportunity to ‘meet the experts’ in each location.

Rural Innovation and Development Fund Food Waste InitiativeSECAD is a partner in a new food waste project funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The project focuses on the critical issue of management and reduction of food waste and more specifically on how businesses in Midleton (Rural Economic Development Zone) involved in the food processing, retail, accommodation and food service sectors can manage their food waste.

The project is led by the Clean Technology Centre at Cork Institute of Technology and partners include the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) for South Cork, Taste Cork (an initiative of Cork County LEO) and SECAD Partnership.

Businesses will be trained in identifying food waste prevention/reduction opportunities, will sign Ireland’s Food Waste Charter, and will be

provided with on-site assistance in identifying and implementing food waste prevention opportunities.

The project will focus on promoting local collaboration as well as developing local capacity for food waste prevention. The success of the initiative will be measured in improved benchmark values (e.g. kg of food waste per employee) and associated cost savings.

In addition, through the EPA’s Stop Food Waste programme, support for community based food waste reduction initiatives will be promoted to the participating companies. Though not directly funded by this project, this will be an important parallel initiative to provide support to local households interested in preventing food waste.

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SECTION 6: NATIONAL &

INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS/

NETWORKS2016-2017 REVIEW

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Local Community Development Committee (LCDC); South & West CorkThroughout 2016-2017, SECAD Partnership served as a local community development representative on both the South Cork and West Cork Local Community Development Committees, established by Cork County Council under the Local Government

Reform Act 2014. SECAD Partnership works closely with the LCDC members in both regions on strategic planning and coordinating local and community development activity including the six year Local Economic and Community Plans (LECP).

National & International Partnerships / Networks SECAD Partnership participates in a number of regional, national and EU wide networks. Each of these bodies is directly involved in helping to shape strategy in terms of how funding is made available to, accessed and utilised by local stakeholders such as SECAD and our clients. Some of these networks are also involved directly in the awarding of contracts and funds. Therefore, it is of enormous importance that SECAD Partnership is actively involved in these groups, to contribute to their knowledge of how funds are utilised and to advocate for future funding of local projects.

Irish Local Development Network (ILDN)The ILDN is a membership network of local development organisations throughout Ireland. SECAD Partnership is an active member of the ILDN network working towards a community led local development approach across the county in both rural and urban settings. It also strives to ensure the

effective development of communities in combating social exclusion and promoting enterprise and employment initiatives. In a constantly evolving environment, the Network plays a key role in representing members across a range of policy, practice and key funding areas.

European Rural Parliament (ERP)In October 2017, SECAD Partnership actively contributed at the European Rural Parliament (ERP) held in the Netherlands. The event held every two years, gathers rural representatives from all parts of Europe. The ERP is driven by the belief that the interests of rural communities (i.e. all people who live or work in rural regions) are under-represented

in national and European debates and in the shaping of policies and programmes. The parliament aims to strengthen the voice of rural communities in Europe and promotes self-help and action by rural people,to ensure the interests and well-being of communities are strongly reflected in national and European policies.

European LEADER Association for Rural Development (ELARD)SECAD Partnership, through its membership of ILDN is involved in the European LEADER Association for Rural Development (ELARD). Based in Brussels, this international non-profit making association was set up to improve the quality of life and population in rural areas through sustainable and integrated local development. ELARD members are united under a common goal of ensuring a sustainable and viable

rural Europe. ELARD advocates for a LEADER approach to good practice in local development, both at a local grassroots and at a European institution level. It is one of only three independent community led networks that is recognised by the European Commission, and as such provides representation on relevant committee structures shaping European Rural Policies for the future.

The European Fisheries Areas Network (FARNET) and Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG)FARNET is a network that manages the implementation of Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). This network brings together Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs), managing authorities, citizens and experts from across the EU.

CLLD funding is delegated to local partnerships that bring together the private sector, local authorities

and civil society organisations. Known as Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs), these partnerships fund local projects within the framework of a strategy, developed in response to specific needs and opportunities identified locally. SECAD Partnership is a member of the Cork FLAG and participates in their meetings to determine where investment is made over the coming years.

The European Network for Rural Development (ENRD) The European Network for Rural Development (ENRD) serves as a hub for exchange of information on how Rural Development policy, programmes, projects and other initiatives are working in practice and how they can be improved to achieve more.

The ENRD supports the effective implementation of EU Member States’ Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) by generating and sharing knowledge, as well as through facilitating information exchange and cooperation across rural Europe. SECAD Partnership collaborates with ENRD on its commitment to supporting rural development in Europe, and SECAD has presented examples of practical work on several occasions at ENRD events in Brussels and across the EU.

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TELI2 - Transitional Education in LEADER ImplementationIn 2017 SECAD Partnership became a partner of the Transnational Education in LEADER Implementation (TELI2) project. This European project seeks to research the most efficient models of LEADER implementation in partner countries.

The main output of the project will be an accredited LEADER programme through Limerick Institute of Technology and University of Ljubljana which is aimed at LEADER professionals and policy makers. The programme will provide stakeholders with the knowledge and skills to implement successful LEADER programmes and projects.

Additional objectives of the project are up-skilling LEADER delivery organisations through life-long learning; improving LEADER staff mobility and increasing the number of transnational projects which may arise from the creation of networks and relationships.

SECAD Partnership hosted a learning workshop with the project participants in October 2017. The study group visited SECAD’s office and LEADER funded projects in South and East Cork.

LEADER Transnational ProgrammeIn August 2017, SECAD Partnership was pleased to host a delegation from the agri-tourism sector in Austria. The local development groups from the Tyrol region made an exploratory trip to Ireland to share knowledge and build links on how best to develop agri-tourism. SECAD selected West Cork Agri Tours- a group of farmers from West Cork to host the group and to explore the possibility of beginning a ‘transnational project’ which may attract LEADER funding if successful.

West Agri Tours is a new initiative between three West Cork hotels and a collective of farmers. Their aim is to create a new tourism offering facilitating

visits to working farms. This initiative has the potential to create additional income for farmers and their local area.

The focus for the Austrian delegation was also to encourage Austrian farmers to work with their Local Development Groups and to encourage farmers to become sellers and not just producers of food. The exchange of information was mutually beneficial for SECAD and the visiting delegation and further steps in developing a formal transnational exchange will be explored.

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Euracademy In September 2017, SECAD Partnership hosted the Euracademy 16th Summer Academy entitled “Resilient communities: pillars of sustainable rural development’’ in Midleton, Co. Cork. This was the very first time that the Euracademy Association held its academy in Ireland. Cork County Council supported the event.

Euracademy Association is a multi-national, inter-disciplinary team of university teachers, researchers and consultants of rural development with a core aim of promoting capacity building in rural areas. The theme of the 2017 study visit focussed on how rural communities can become more resilient in the face of 21st century challenges. The Euracademy mobilises communities and rural development leaders by offering them the opportunity to improve their skills and widen their experience.

Central to this year’s event was a delegate field trip to active local communities in South and East Cork. As a member of Euracademy, SECAD Partnership and local communities welcomed participants from across Europe including Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Scotland, Slovenia, Wales and Armenia.

The Euracademy participants benefitted from SECAD Partnership’s wealth of knowledge and experience of working with community partners over the past twenty two years.

Communities generously shared their experience of local development with practical project examples under the themes of ‘Youth and the built environment’ in Carrigaline, ‘Youth and rural tourism and facilities’ in Minane Bridge and Crosshaven and ’Integration of new communities’ in Carrigtwohill.

Each community presented its main challenges in terms of sustainability, for consideration by Euracademy delegates. In partnership with and hosted by UCC, delegates debated issues and devised potential practical solutions. Communities also benefited after the programme ended as the different teams of researchers, academics and practitioners that visited the areas, created a report highlighting their views on the issues impacting on ‘resilience’ and proposed actions to address the issues highlighted.

The lessons learned from Euracademy will be transferred to next year’s programme which is being held in Tartu, Estonia.

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SECTION 7: FUNDS AND

PROGRAMMES MANAGED BY SECAD

2016-2017 REVIEW

Funds & Programmes managed by SECADSECAD Partnership CLG has developed the structures, governance systems, policies and procedures that are needed to be recognised as an accountable organisation with the capacity to maximise the impacts of funds (public and private) with local communities and get best value for money for the investor. The following is a summary of the funding sources that were managed by SECAD in the 2016-2017 period. Details of the types of actions and outcomes that have been achieved as a result of this work have been outlined throughout this report.

LEADER 2014-2020, which is part of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme includes three themes that reflect the overarching needs and key challenges facing rural Ireland with regard to economic recovery, employment creation, tackling social exclusion and reducing environmental impacts.

In Cork, LEADER 2014-2020 is managed by three Local Action Groups (North Cork, South Cork and West Cork). SECAD Partnership CLG is an implementing partner for both South and West Cork.

Each LEADER theme contains a number of sub-themes, which are considered the key areas in

need of the greatest support and have the greatest potential to promote the sustainable development of rural communities.

The Themes are; • Economic Development, Enterprise Development and Job Creation (Sub-themes; Rural Tourism, Enterprise Development, Rural Towns, Rural Broadband)• Social Inclusion (Sub-themes; Basic Services for Hard to Reach Communities, Rural Youth)• Rural Environment (Sub-theme; Conservation of Water Resources, Biodiversity, Renewable Energy)

LEADER 2014 – 2020

The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) has been developed within Ireland’s dynamic social and economic landscape as the successor programme to the Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) 2010-2014. The first iteration of SICAP ran from 2015 to the end of 2017.

The aim of SICAP is to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality through local, regional and national engagement and collaboration.

Its vision is to improve the life chances and opportunities of those who are marginalised in society, living in poverty or in unemployment. This is done through community development approaches, targeted supports and interagency collaboration, where the values of equality and inclusion are promoted and human rights are respected.

SICAP 2 which will run for five years will be delivered by SECAD from January 1st 2018.

Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP)

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TúsSECAD commenced the Tús Initiative in July 2011 with an allocation of 220 places. Tús is a community work placement initiative providing short-term working opportunities for unemployed people ie. 12 month placements. The placement opportunities benefit both the participant and the community and

voluntary organisations they work with. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) has overall responsibility for the Tús Initiative which is managed locally by Local Development Companies like SECAD.

Rural Social Scheme (RSS)The Rural Social Scheme was set up to provide income support for farmers and those in the fishing industry who are in receipt of long-term social welfare payments, and to provide services of benefit to rural communities. The RSS will allow those on low-incomes who are unable to earn an adequate living from their farm holding or from fishing, to earn a supplementary income in return for 19.5 hours work

per week, undertaken within the community and voluntary sector.

While responsibility for the operation of the RSS rests with the DEASP, it is managed at a local level by Local Development Companies like SECAD and in the Gaeltacht by Údarás na Gaeltachta.

Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) The PEIL is the sole vehicle through which the European Social Fund will be applied in Ireland during the 2014-2020 programming period. During 2017, SECAD was successful in applying for PEIL funding from the Department of Justice and Equal-

ity and is involved in the delivery of two separate projects, one focusing on ‘Female Entrepreneurship’ and the other focusing improving ‘Female Employability’ opportunities over the next three years.

Rural Innovation and Development Fund SECAD is a partner in a new food waste project being funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The project is being led by the Clean Technology Centre at Cork Institute of Technology. CTC will be partnered by the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) for South Cork, Taste Cork (an initiative

of Cork County LEO) and SECAD. The project will focus on the Midleton Rural Economic Development Zone (REDZ) and businesses involved in the food processing, retail, accommodation and food service sectors will be recruited to participate.

ERASMUS - Transnational Education in LEADER Implementation (TELI2)SECAD is a partner in the European Erasmus fund-ed project – Transnational Education in LEADER Implementation (TELI2), with Limerick Institute of Technology as lead partner. This project aims to support the effective delivery of the LEADER

programme across Europe. The TELI2 project will study the delivery of the LEADER programme for rural communities by focusing on researching the most efficient models of programme implementation in EU partner countries.

SECAD manages community benefit funds for the ESB (Electricity Supply Board) and Coillte (semi-state forestry company). See more information on page 19.

Managing Community Benefit / CSR Funds

SECAD Partnership is administering the Community Food Initiative (CFI) on behalf of safefood since 2016 in partnership with 13 different local/community based groups across the Island of Ireland. See more information on page 25.

Managing the All Ireland Community Food Initiative for safefood

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SECTION 8: SECAD

PARTNERSHIP GOVERNANCE

2016-2017 REVIEW

SECAD Partnership Governance SECAD Partnership CLG is a not-for-profit, community-led organisation with charitable status. SECAD strives to ensure that it operates to the highest standards through (for example) implementing the ‘Governance Code for Charities’ which sets out a wide range of checks and counter-checks to ensure that proper systems and procedures for the management of funding, private and public, are maintained.

SECAD also invests in the governance management skills of our Board and staff each year. In 2017, SECAD continued to invest in technology to protect our processing of financial and personal data adopting appropriate policies, practices and systems to record and store all information gathered as part of our work. The Board of SECAD actively review their roles and

responsibilities as directors of the organisation and are continuously looking to improve the Board and Sub-Committee Structures in terms of meeting new challenges and opportunities facing SECAD.

The following people are central to the management and operations of SECAD Partnership CLG.

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Our Team 2016-2017Management team • Ryan Howard – CEO• Laura Mason – Finance Manager and Company Secretary • Suzanne Kearney – Programme Manager/ Assistant CEO • Toni McCaul – Programme Manager

Administration • Julie Aherne• Elaine Barrett• Magdalena Bosiacka• Anne Coughlan • Li Chai• Miriam Montagne• Clare Walsh• Jennifer Sisk• Helen Mc Sweeney (current Tus placement)

Development Officers - Enterprise, Employment and Community• Edel Smiddy• Nuala O’Connell• Elga Ryan• Ellenora Lynch• Sinead Conroy• Ross Curley

• Katie Kearns• Kieran Butler• Frances Doyle• Margaret Hartigan• Ursula Collins• Margaret Kelly• Vicki Kelly • Cora O’Donnell (Employment Support)• William O’Halloran (Environment/Wild Work)• Finbarr Wallace (Environment/Wild Work)

Tús (Community Work Placements) and Rural Social Scheme Supervisors • P.J. Dennehy (Co-ordinator)• Frances Burke• Declan Barron• Robert Colan O’Leary• Noel Costello• Joe Dilworth• Aoife Fouhy• Eilish Hurley• Derek Kiely• Magdalena McLeod• Barry O’ Sullivan • Mark O’Connell • Billy Mulqueen

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State Agencies and Social Partners• Anna Aherne (Environment Pillar)• Patrick Cronin (Farming Pillar)• John Horgan (Teagasc)• Gerry Kelly (ETB)• Gerard Mac Mahon (Teagasc) • Maurice Smiddy (Farming Pillar)• Mike Walley (Employer Pillar)

Local Authority / Local Government• Louis Duffy (Cork County Council)• Cllr Deirdre Forde• Cllr Seamus Mc Grath

Community and Voluntary Sector• Damian Craven• Steven Foott• J.J. Harty• Garret Kelleher• Barbara Murray• Edmund Stack• Don Stockley

Officers of the Board• Maurice Smiddy (Chairperson)• J.J. Harty (Vice Chairperson)• Damian Craven (Treasurer/Board Secretary)

Project Evaluation Committee• Anna Aherne• Damian Craven• Patrick Cronin• Louis Duffy• Dick Harney• Tom Hughes• Dan Mc Sweeney• Mark O’Keeffe• Christy O’Sullivan• Eamonn Mc Sweeney• Edmund Stack • Joe Burke (LEO South Cork)• Deirdre O’ Mahony (LEO West Cork)• Sean O’Callaghan (Municipal Districts, Cork County Council).

Our Board Members 2016- 2017

2016-2017 Review Highlights and Impacts

SECAD Partnership,Owennacurra Business Park,

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